"...I've finished taking a bath." "I see..." After a while, Miyanoshita came to the living room. She looked fresh and cozy. She was now wearing cute pajamas that looked like a cat costume. Normally, I'd think it's adorable and want to compliment her, but... Right now, the atmosphere isn't right for that at all. "......" "......" I didn't do it on purpose. But I ended up barging into Miyanoshita's bathroom... Aaah... What the heck am I even doing? Am I more of a threat than the stalker? "Miyanoshita!" "Y-yes...!?" "I'm sorry!" I went down into a Dogeza position. Rubbing my forehead against the floor desperately, as if challenging how low I could go, i desperatly prostrated myselve. "I'm truly sorry! I know this might be hard to believe, but I didn't mean any harm! After you said that and I heard a scream, I thought something might have really happened... No, I shouldn't make excuses. Anyway, I'm sorry!!" "Um..." Miyanoshita's voice sounded perplexed. Is she angry? Or ss she not? Because I can't see her face, I can't make judgments based solely on her voice. "Please look up." "Um..." When I looked up as she asked, Miyanoshita was smiling wryly. Her cheeks are red. It seems she can't help but be conscious of what happened earlier. I feel the same way... I feel so apologetic that I want to commit seppuku right now. "I'm not angry, you know?" "Eh? But……" "Well... it was embarrassing. Increeeedibly embarrassing. But, um... if it's you, Yuuki-san, then..." "Tha, that is……" "Someday, we'll be close enough to show each other everything!" "As if!"

"Hehe, you're back to your usual self, huh?" "Ah..." Without realizing it, I'm grasping my head in sheer frustration. There's no way Miyanoshita doesn't care about what just happened. Even if she's not angry, it must be embarrassing, and she probably wants to pretend it never happened. Even so, she was considerate towards me. She made sure I wouldn't keep blaming myself. It's hopeless... I really can't compete. Right now, I feel like the younger one. "I understand. Just one more time... I'm really sorry." "Yes, I've received your apology. I forgive you." "Thank you." "Ah... but, you know, it would be a waste to end it here." "Hey, what do you mean by 'a waste'?" "Hehe. Yuuki-san, since we're at it, you'll have to take a little punishment." Miyanoshita smiled mischievously and confidently. ―――――――――― "Is this really a punishment?" "Yes♪" We are in Miyanoshita's room. Miyanoshita is lying on the bed, and I'm sleeping on a futon layed out on the floor. As a punishment, I was told we had to sleep together, but... Sharing the same bed is really problematic for many reasons. We compromised by sharing the same room, and here we are. "Yuuki-san" "Hmm?" "I'm feeling so excited! Is this the famous school trip situation?" "Ohh right, Miyanoshita, you haven't gone on one yet, right?" It varies by school, but generally, elementary school trips are for sixth graders. Miyanoshita still has two years to go. "Let's talk about love! Love stories!" "Who do you like, Miyanoshita?" "It's Yuuki-san!" "Okay, conversation over." "That's it? Just one word and it's over!?" "Isn't it more fun to have these kinds of chats with friends of the same gender? It might be better to save it for your real trip in two years."

"I suppose you're right... Well then, let's just chat about anything! I'm so excited that I don't think I can sleep like this!" "Well, alright." After that, we had some casual chit-chat. We talked about everyday life. And about games. Talking about school. We never ran out of things to talk about, and before we knew it, two hours had passed. It's like our usual vibe. Like when we're playing games together. Spending time with Miyanoshita is so comfortable and fun that I completely lose track of time. "We should really get some sleep now." "Still... I still want to talk... with you..." "You look really sleepy, you know?" "That's not true at all..." She looks like she'll fall asleep in about 10 minutes even if left alone. You've been through a lot, so I want you to rest well today. "Come on, let's sleep. I'll turn off the light." "Okay..." The room was enveloped in darkness. "...Yuuki-san." "Yeah?" "Shank you... for todayyy..." "It's okay, we're friends, right?" "If possible, my lover..." "Maybe someday." "Buuh... you're so cold... *yawn*" It seems like she's reaching her limit. Miyanoshita seems to be already half asleep. "Yuuki... shan..." "Hmm?" "...When I'm not alone at night... it's so nice..." "That's right. I'm here with you. So... good night." "Good... nightsh..." Before long, I heard the gentle sound of her breathing. The room was dark. Amidst the silence, only the faint sound of Miyanoshita's breathing softly echoed. It felt comforting in some way... I thought that this kind of tranquility was nice. "Good night, Miyanoshita."